Of Envy
by Dragon Tamer
Summary: Hermione has a strange reaction when one of her friends gets a girl friend...please R&R!!


One foot in front of the other I walked into our regular car. There they were sitting same as they always did, across from each other talking about their uneventful summers. Crookshanks slipped past me and jumped up onto the seat next to Ron. This must have made them realize that I had entered the car and they looked at me.  
  
"Lo Hermione," Harry said, smiling warmly and scooting over so that I could sit down. Ron mumbled something that sounded like 'Hello' although I couldn't tell. I sat down next to Harry, as Crookshanks had already taken up the seat open next to Ron.  
  
"Hello." I said smiling. "How were your summers?" Harry sighed and leaned back into the seat.  
  
"Same ol same ol." Ron didn't reply, he seemed to be dazing into space. Harry nudged him with his foot and he started.  
  
"Oh...boring...I got a new wand though." He said not exactly to anyone in the room, let alone me.  
  
"Oh...I went to Bulgaria." I said twirling a strand of my hair, which I had grown to my waist over the summer. "I saw Viktor while I was there." Ron flinched a little, like he had been flicked or bitten by a bug, but at the time I didn't notice. "I went for dinner at his house, and he introduced me to his parents; they were really nice."  
  
"That's nice." Harry had said, looking at Ron. I continued on with my talking about Viktor and how he showed me around Bulgaria, not noticing at all that Ron was trying to melt into the seat.  
  
The train slowed and I realized that we were at the Hogwarts station. I looked over at Ron to give him a friendly smile, but then I noticed that he was glaring faintly at the air in front of his face and decided that it was not the time to smile at him. I couldn't understand why he looked so glum.  
  
Crookshanks jumped down onto the floor from his seat next to Ron. I got up and slung my handbag over my shoulder, straightened my school robes, and stepped out of the exit and onto the platform. Harry and Ron soon followed after me and we all got in line to board the horseless carriages. Hagrid stood above the crowds calling all the first years to come with him, and it made me remember that it was such a long time ago that we ourselves had taken that journey across the lake, so long since we were still innocent unhurt children.  
  
After we got into a carriage it began to rain, the drops hitting the roof lulling me into a trance. I don't remember what happened between that time and the time that we reached the doors that lead to the Great Hall. I think that Harry and Ron where talking in hushed voices, I don't remember what they said. Harry tapped me on the knee and I started.  
  
"What?" I asked, blinking.  
  
"We need to get out." He stated as the door swung open. The rain had stopped. Harry got out quickly and Ron stepped out right after him. I waited a minute to make sure I was awake, then stepped out after them and we all walked up the steps and into the Great Hall.  
  
It was glowing and warm, the candles that magically suspended above the tables where brand new, new for the new year. I walked over and sat down at the Gryffindor table, exactly in the middle on the side that faced the Hufflepuffs. Harry sat down next to me, and Ron sat down on the other side of Harry. I frowned, thinking, 'Why is he avoiding me?' My thoughts were cut short as the first years walked into the hall.  
  
I looked at them, their faces glowing with the candlelight as they looked around the room in amazement. I could hear their gasps as they entered the room. I remembered feeling like I couldn't keep in the gasp, like it had been pushed out of me with the sure force of the magic in the room. I remembered my heart pounding in my chest as I looked at all the peoples faces looking at me.  
  
I began to daze out, as the new students were sorted. I was thinking about jumping up onto that stool, acting so sure of my self. I remembered how my mouth was like sawdust though, as they placed the hat on my head. I remembered my hands sweating as the hat sorted through my head, looking into my deepest fears and hopes and dreams. I remembered the hat saying Gryffindor and how I got off the stool and walked over, not showing me relief.  
  
The next thing I knew we had three new children at our table. They were only children, so innocent. I wondered how many of them were muggle born, like me. Dumbledore didn't give a long speech like he always did, just announcing that no students were allowed near the forest, and no one was to be out after dark. Then he said "Snifty!" and the plates filled with food. The first years gasped again, I could feel their amazement.  
  
I looked down at my plate. Corn beef and cabbage with mashed potatoes with gravy and biscuits. I wasn't hungry. I didn't eat much anymore. Harry was scarfing his food down next to me, and Ron sat stabbing his meat with his golden fork absentmindedly. His eyes were looking over the Hufflepuffs but only god knew where his mind was. I looked over to the Hufflepuffs.  
  
They were missing some of their people, who had graduated last year. Only one who wasn't there didn't graduate, Cedric. I sighed thinking of last year, but pushed those thoughts the back of my mind. I looked at our own table. We were missing Fred, George, Alicia, and a few others. My eyes wandered back to the Hufflepuffs and I noticed a girl looking over to our table.  
  
She was looking intently at someone near me. I figured it was Harry, since he was the fancy of half the girls in the school. I looked over at him briefly to see him stuffing potatoes into his mouth and not bothering to wipe the gravy off his face. I shook my head, thinking that it possibly couldn't be him. Ron? I looked at the girl again.  
  
She peered over at our table with brilliant emerald orbs that peered out from under dark chocolate bangs. The bangs cast shadows on her fair complexioned face. In fact she was very good-looking, with full cherry lips and naturally rosy cheeks. I shook my head, there was no way that girl would be checking out Ron. He wasn't that good looking, although he was cute in a puppy dog sorta way.  
  
I cast those thoughts from my mind as I looked down at my food again, picking up the biscuit and eating it. There was no way a girl like that would ever like Ron... 


End file.
